that the printers or copyists have corrupted his father’s name, and that he was Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith. For Ibn Ḥibbān’s Thiqāt (3/241–242) states: “Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith al-Kūfī al-Sulamī, Abū Mūsā: he narrated from ʿAlī and Ibn ʿAbbās, and Muḥammad ibn Qays and the people of Kūfah narrated from him during the latter part of al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf’s governorship.” Ibn Abī Ḥātim (4/1/207) mentioned that Manṣūr ibn al-Muʿtamir and al-Aʿmash narrated from him, and that Ibn Maʿīn declared him trustworthy. He then mentioned Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī, who also narrated from ʿAlī. Both are included among the narrators of al-Tahdhīb. He noted that the former was among Muslim’s narrators, but did not mention that he narrated from ʿAlī; whereas al-Ashtar did narrate from ʿAlī. It therefore appears that he is the narrator of this hadith, so the chain of transmission is authentic. And Allah knows best.

Among the reports concerning the seriousness of reverting to Bedouin life after the Hijrah is the hadith of Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ: he entered upon al-Ḥajjāj, who said, “O Ibn al-Akwaʿ! Have you turned back on your heels? Have you reverted to Bedouin life?” He replied, “No; rather, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gave me permission to live in the desert.” It was recorded by al-Bukhārī (7087), Muslim (6/27), al-Nasāʾī (2/184), al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr (7/38/6298), Aḥmad (4/54) in abbreviated form, and likewise Ibn Saʿd in al-Ṭabaqāt (4/306).

It has another route of transmission: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥarmalah narrated from Muḥammad ibn Iyās ibn Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ that his father told him that Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ came to Madinah, where he met Buraydah ibn al-Ḥuṣayb. He said, “Have you forsaken your Hijrah, O Salamah?” He replied, “Allah forbid! I have permission from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Live in the desert, O Aslam! Breathe the fresh air and dwell in the mountain passes.’” They said, “We fear that this may affect our Hijrah.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: